X-ray apparatus



March 6, 1934. o. H. PIEPER 1,949,760

X-RAY APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q 2 6 47 i Oscafifi a m M Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to X-ray apparatus and contemplates improvements to the end of simplicity of construction and convenience and safety in handling while in operation.

In order to accomplish this purpose, the desideratum is a metallic container for the tube, but the problems of high voltage isolation and the necessary manipulation of the tube must be met before protection by such means can be realized.

I provide a metallic container, and ground it, and, in order to keep it within practical dimensions, I give it a spherical form in proximity to the high tension terminal of the X-ray tube, which terminal, in turn, I surround with a concentric housing, experiment having shown that between spherical surfaces lesser distances are feasible without discharge across the gap between them. Moreover, I mount the high tension transformer in close and rigid relation to said metallic container, so that the tube and transformer are in one unit and so that the high tension conductors may thus be appropriately housed. And I provide such a construction and arrangement of parts that a very compact assembly, appropriately housed as an entirety, is provided.

My structure accommodates a standard tube and does so in such a way that, although the tube is enclosed, the usual cone, which identifies the center line of the rays, is capable of the same range of adjustment as that which now obtains in the case of unenclosed tubes.

Moreover, as will appear, I give heed to simplicity and effectiveness of design, all to the ends of increased utility, practicability and safety to operator and patient.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevational view of an X-ray structure embodying my invention, illustrating the means for supporting the assembly with which my invention has to do;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the structure;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the housing parts.

That portion of the housing which contains the high tension transformer is indicated at 5. At its top, it is provided with a boss 6 which may be secured, in any appropriate way, to the bracket arm 7 pivoted at 8 to the bracket arm 9.

The high tension transformer is shown at 10, the primary and secondary coils thereof being 60 diagrammatically shown at 11 and 12 respectively, the latter being grounded at 12'. The housing 5 is just sufliciently large to house the transformer, with the exception that it is flared downwardly for purposes which will be referred to presently. The transformer is supported in the housing by means of the supporting bracket 14. The transformer housing is closed by a cover 15 of insulating material, secured independently to the planar flange at the bottom of the housing by means of bolts 16, and by other bolts which will be referred to presently, a suitable gasket 17 being disposed between the cover and the flange, as illustrated. The cover 15 is provided with two apertures 18, 18 in each of which an insulator 19, preferably of bakelite, is mounted. The outer surface of this insulator is fluted as indicated at 19' and it is provided with a collar 20 which engages the under side of the cover 15, with a gasket 21 intervening, the body above this collar being screw threaded for the reception of a nut 22 engaging the opposite side of the cover. By this means the insulator is firmly mounted in the cover and the opening 18 is hermetically sealed. The insulator at the left (Figure 4) carries the high tension conductor. This conductor is in the form of a metallic tube 23 closed by a bakelite plug 24. This tube is provided with the flange 25, within the bore 25' of the insulator, and this flange engages the shoulder 26 at the upper end of the bore, with a gasket 27 intervening. This provides a hermetic seal at this point. The upper end of the tube 23 is threaded to receive the nut 28 between which and the top of the insulator the connector 29 is clamped. This connector is connected with one end of the secondary coil 12 by means of the conductor 30.

The other insulator supports the filament current conductors. The construction here is the same as that described with reference to the high tension conductor insulator, with the exception that the insulating plug 24' has the conducting stem 31 lodged therein. The two conductors of this insulator are connected with part of the secondary winding of the transformer, for the purpose of exciting the filament, by means of the conductors 32 and 33.

The tube container is formed by a central casting 340., shown in Figure 5, which engages the under side of the cover 15, and the stamped metal housing portions 34b, 34b. The casting 34a is secured centrally upon the under side of the cover 15 by means of bolts 35, and the portions 34b, supplementing it on each side, are secured to the under side of the cover 15 by means of bolts 36. The central casting 34a provides a seat or saddle 38, against which the X-ray tube may rest, and is provided with aligned openings 39, 39, through which the X-ray tube may extend, these openings 39 being surrounded by flanges 40, 40. Metal mounting rings 41, 41 fit upon the flanges 40, 40 and, in turn, engage in the inner ends of the housing parts 34b, 34b. The X-ray tube is shown at 42 and, in the specific instance shown, is the type of tube wherein the central portion is a chrome iron ring 43 welded into the inner ends of the two glass tubular portions 44 of the tube. This chrome iron ring is surrounded by a layer of lead 45, surrounded in turn by a brass supporting ring 46. This brass supporting ring rests directly in the seat or saddie 38, being mounted there for rotation. The form of the central casting 34a is such as to leave the central opening or slot 47, through which the focusing device extends as will be pointed out presently, the tube being held upon the seat or saddle 38 by means of the angular side plates 48, 48 which close the casting 34a and define the opening or slot 47 and, by means of the flanges 48a, 48a, hold the tube in place, springs 49, 49 intervening between the flanges 48a and the tube in order that the latter may be appropriately cushioned. The surrounding supporting ring 46 of the tube carries the radially extending tubular portion 50, which is thus adapted to extend into the slot or opening 47. The focusing device 51 is carried on this extension 50 and, as shown in Figure 3, is thus capable of being swung from the position there shown, i. e. approximately 30 above horizontal, down to a vertical position.

The anode end of the X-ray tube 42 is provided with radiator fins 52 which are housed by the cup 53 and the hemispherical cap 54. This can presents a spherical inner surface which is wiped by a contact member 55 carried on the conductor tube 23 and an outer spherical surface which is substantially concentric with the hemispherical end of the tube container. As pointed out in my copending application, Serial No. 276,882, filed May 11, 1928, experiment has shown that between spherical surfaces lesser distances are feasible without discharge across the gap between them, and, since compactness is one of the objects of my invention, it is appropriate that this arrangement be used here.

The anode end of the X-ray tube has a tendency to become quite hot while the tube is in operation, but, in the structure which has been described, this tendency is effectively counteracted by the heat conducting quality of the metallic tube 23. As has been described, this tube is connected with the cap 54 by means of the contact member 55, and the upper end of the tube 23 extends into the oil in the transformer compartment. Thus the heat from the radiator is dissipated by its connection with the oil through a medium of high heat conductivity.

The cathode end of the tube is provided with a screw plug 56 having the usual inner and outer terminals, these terminals forming the terminals of the filament of the tube. Screwed upon the plug 56 is a receptacle 5"! which mounts an insu lating block 58. An insulating support 59 is carried from the right hand insulator l9 and this support may appropriately mount a rheostat winding for initial adjustment. A hub 60 is carried on the rigid strip 61, which in turn is secured to the tube 23' and which acts as a conductor. A conductor strip 62 connects the hub with the rheostat winding, which in turn is connected with the receptacle 57. The center contact of the screw plug 56 is connected through the insulating block with the conducting stem 31 by means of the conductor 63. The hub 60 mounts the hemispherical cap 64.

Porcelain or bakelite insulating sleeves 67 are mounted within the housings 34b, 34b, concentrically with the X-ray tube, in order to provide additional protection against the possibility of discharge between the casing and the caps 54 and 64.

The housing 5 is filled with oil.

It will be clear that the entire unit may be moved about freely on the bracket 9 and also that whatever its position the tube may be swung about its 'axis in the container so that the cone may be given a wide variety of positions, all to the end of permitting manipulation to direct the rays wherever desired. The metallic housing for the tube is grounded and it will be clear that the high tension parts are all housed and protected and that the assembly may be placed in any position with complete safety for the operator and the patient.

I claim:

1. In an X-ray machine, a housing comprising two relatively fixed and immediately adjacent compartments, a transformer mounted in one of the compartments, an X-ray tube in the other compartment, said other compartment comprising means for supporting said tube for turning movement therein on its longitudinal axis and independently of said other compartment, means exterior of the housing for imparting rotation to said tube, and electrical connections between said tube and said transformer.

2. In an X-ray machine, a housing comprising two relatively fixed and immediately adjacent compartments, a transformer mounted in one of the compartments, an X-ray tube in the other compartment, said other compartment comprising means for supporting said tube for independent turning movement therein on its axis, the latter compartment having a slot therein elongated in a plane normal to the tube axis and otherwise completely enclosing the tube, a focusing device extending from said tube through said slot and movable lengthwise thereof, and electrical connections between said transformer and said tube.

3. In an X-ray machine, a housing, a sealing partition structure dividing said housing into two relatively fixed and immediately adjacent compartments, a transformer mounted in one of said compartments, the other compartment comprising supporting means attached to said partition structure and end sections disposed at opposite ends of the supporting means and detachable from the transformer compartment independently of said supporting means, an X-ray tube directly mounted in said supporting means within the latter compartment for independent turning movement on its axis, means exterior of the housing for imparting rotation to said tube, and electrical connections between said transformer and said tube.

4. In an X-ray machine, a housing, a sealing partition structure dividing said housing into two relatively fixed and immediately adjacent compartments, a transformer mounted in one of the compartments, an Xray tube in the other compartment, said other compartment comprising means for supporting said tube for turning movement independently thereof, insulators mounted in the partition structure and extending into the tube compartment with their outer ends in proximity to the tube, electrical conductors leading from the tube through said insulators to the transformer, and means exterior of the housing for imparting turning movement to the tube.

5. In an X-ray machine, a housing, a sealing partition structure dividing said housing into two relatively fixed and immediately adjacent compartments, a transformer mounted in one of the compartments, an X-ray tube in the other compartment, said other compartment comprising means for supporting said tube for independent turning movement therein on its axis, insulators mounted in the partition structure and extending into the tube compartment with their outer ends in proximity to the tube, electrical conductors leading from the tube through said insulators to the transformer, and means exterior of the housing for imparting turning movement to the tube.

6. In an X-ray machine, a housing, a sealing partition structure dividing said housing into two relatively fixed and immediately adiacent cornpartments, a transformer mounted in one of the compartments, an X-ray tube in the other compartment, said other compartment comprising means for supporting said tube for turning movement independently thereof, insulators mounted in the partition structure and extending into the tube compartment with their outer ends in proximity to the tube, said insulators being respectively located beyond the transformer and the transformer compartment being flared at its ends to embrace said insulators and tapering from the partition structure to closely embrace the transformer, electrical conductors leading from the tube through said insulators to the transformer, and means exterior of the housing for imparting turning movement to the tube.

7. In an X-ray machine, a housing divided into two compartments one of which is sealed, a high tension transformer mounted in said sealed compartment and there immersed in oil, an X-ray tube mounted in the other of said compartments and provided at its anode end with a sphericaily surfaced metallic cap electrically connected with the anode, a metallic member or" relatively large cross-section extending from within said lastnamed compartment to the oil in said firstnamed compartment, and a metallic connection of substantial cross-section between said member and said cap, said member and the cathode end of the tube being electrically connected with said transformer.

8. In an X-ray machine, a housing divided into two compartments one of which is sealed, a high tension transformer mounted in said sealed compartment and there immersed in oil, an X-ray tube mounted in the other of said conipartments and provided with a radiator at its anode end, a metallic member of relatively large cross section extending from within said lastnamed compartment to the oil in said first-named compartment, a casing enclosing said radiator and electrically connected to the anode of the tube, and a metallic connection of substantial cross-section between said member and said casing, said member and the cathode end of the tube being electrically connected with said transformer.

9. In an X-ray machine, a partitioned housing forming two compartments, a high tension transformer mounted in one of said compartments, an X-ray tube mounted in the other of said compartments, an insulator sealed in the partition, said insulator having a bore comprising a portion of small diameter and a portion of larger diameter, thus leaving a shoulder at the juncture of said bores, a tube of conducting material sealed in said small diameter bore and extending through said large diameter bore, and a collar on said tube fitting against said shoulder, said tube being connected with said transformer and with one terminal of said X-ray tube, the other terminal of said X-ray tube being also connected with said transformer.

10. In an Y-ray machine, an elongated housing shaped with a central outwardly exposed recess. an X-ray tube rotatably mounted in said housing with its middle portion lying in said recess, and a focusing device carried by said tube and extending outwardly in and from said recess for arcuate movement therein.

11. In an X-ray machine, a housing comprising a central recessed support providing a saddle, an X-ray tube rotatably mounted on said saddle and lying in said recess, means for holding said tube on said saddle, a focusing device carried by said tube and extending outwardly in and from said recess for arcuate movement therein, and metal housing portions attached to said support and surrounding the projecting ends of said tube.

12. In an X-ray machine, a housing comprising a central recessed support providing a saddle, an X-ray tube rotatably mounted on said saddle and lying in said recess, clamping plates retaining said tube on said saddle, a focusing device carried by said tube and extending outwardly in and from said recess for arcuate movement therein, and sheet metal housing portions attached to said support and surrounding the projecting ends of said tube.

13. In an X-ray machine, a housing comprising a central recessed support providing a saddle, an X-ray tube rotatably mounted on said saddle and lying in said recess, clamping plates retaining said tube on said saddle, cushion springs between said clamping plates and said tube, a focusing device carried by said tube and extending outwardly in and from said recess for arcuate movement therein, and sheet metal housing portions attached to said support and surrounding the projecting ends of said tube.

14. In an X-ray machine, a housing, a rotatably mounted X-ray tube contained therein, an insulator depending into said housing in proximity to the high-tension terminal of said tube, a conductor carried by said insulator, a hemispherical cap carried on the high-tension end of said tube, and a wiper attached to said conductor and engaging the inner surface of said cap.

15. In an X-ray machine, a housing, an X-ray tube mounted therein, an insulator depending into said housing in proximity to the filament terminals of said tube, a support of insulating material carried on said insulator, a conductor carried by the insulator, a hub carried from said conductor by means of a rigid conducting memher, a rheostat winding carried on said support, a conducting member carried by said hub and engaging said rheostat winding, means for connecting said rheostat winding with one of said terminals, and means for connecting the other of said terminals with an independent conductor in said insulator.

OSCAR H. PIEPER. 

